A Wolf in the Fog
by Zenkx
Summary: "I knew them only a few months, but in that time, I felt as if I truly lived. They were bold. Strong. Free with their affections. I was in awe of them, and owed them everything. And I turned on them even so..."
1. Authoress' Notes

Authoress' Notes:

And that's ANOTHER DA fanfic down. YAY!

Honestly, the idea for this fanfic has been playing in my head for so long (also at the same time as "Andraste's Day") that I couldn't focus on my other works. It's relatively short compared to the other ones, since I was rushing to get the ideas out of my head (almost like figuratively barfing out words to make a story… so I'm sorry to those who subscribed to my site and gets flooded with messages when I post 17 chapters all at once XD). Also, since I was in such as hurry, mind that there might be lots of grammar and spelling errors.

Cover art was made by an awesome individual named Rossilyn and this is her website full of awesome art:

rossilyn. deviantart

Characters from the game are the intellectual property of BioWare.

Hope you'll have fun reading this as it was while I was making it. And now if you'll excuse me, I have another fanfic to work on. XD

Please don't forget to subscribe, comment, like or favorite. 3


	2. Chapter 1

The rain turned red in his hands.

The elf watched as the water that fell from the sky mixed with his blood-stained hands, the clear fluid turning red. His olive eyes widened at the sight, and he clenched his hand in anger as he struggled to get up against the muddy ground.

"There he is! Get him!"

The elf pushed the waist-length, white hair that obscured his vision and tucked it behind his pointy ears, the red from his hand coloring the locks, and he gasped as the sound of galloping horses echoed amongst the trees. With a deep breath he sprinted again, his bare feet scraping amidst the stone and root, scratching his soles. He could hear the yells of the mercenaries as they spurred their horses forward, trying to catch up with him.

But he stilled when he reached the end of what seemed to be a cliff, and he stepped back in time just as the edge crumbled under him, plummeting down to the forest below. He could see various ships on the horizon, sailing on the darkened sea, the rain pelting from the heavens.

The horses behind him stopped and he turned around just in time to see the mercenaries had dismounted, leering at him as they approached, unsheathing their swords. One of them approached him with a sneer, "You are going nowhere, _slave._ "

The elf with white hair growled, "I am no longer a slave!" He shouted, clenching his fists. The men stepped back as he glowed an eerie white light, and the white tattoos on his skin brightened, like a luminous vine from his chin, his neck, down his arms and even to the tops of his feet.

The man charged, getting the first mercenary in front, and the other mercenaries shouted in shock and fear as the white-haired elf plunged his hand into the other man's chest, using his powers and his fist to crush the man's heart. The mercenary fell down to the floor dead, and the elf bent over and took his broadsword, clutching it tightly in his hands.

"What are you idiots doing?!" One of the men said, unsheathing his sword, "GET HIM!"

But the mercenaries remained still, looking at the elf fearfully, until finally one of them became brave enough and charged, swinging his sword against him.

But the elf parried the blow, and with a shout, he plunged his hand into the other man's heart again and pulling it out whole, for all the other men to see. His eyes scowled as he raised the still-beating organ to their sights, and he crushed it with his fist, the blood running down from his hand and down his arm, seeing the look of fear and shock from them.

But in his display of power, he got distracted, and one of them charged from his side, knocking him with a shield, and he got flung back to the air before he collided to the ground again. The mercenary swung down immediately, getting him in the shoulder, the blade impaling him and protruding from his back. He gasped in pain, and the white lines on his body faded.

"Your master never said anything about bringing you back alive, _slave."_ The man said, sneering down at him as he pulled his sword, causing the elf to cry out in pain again. The man sheathed his sword and bent over, clutching his neck and choking him, and bodily lifting him up with one arm, dangling him precariously over the ridge. The man grinned evilly at him, his eyes wide, "I'll just throw you over this ledge and come back for your carcass later. You'll be dead by the time you hit the ground, but at least you won't be able to feel it when I skin your corpse, ye- uhrgk!"

The man's last comment was interrupted by an arrow that was shot into his throat, and he gurgled out blood as he let the elf go in death. The elf's eyes widened as he felt himself fall, and he flung out an arm, scrambling not to fall, and his hand gripped at the edge of the cliff as he hung on for dear life.

He could hear several shouts of men and women, and the sound of an ensuing battle. A thick white mist enveloped the cliff, blocking his vision, but he could still hear the voices. His hand hurt as he tried to keep his grip on the cliff, but he blinked when a slim white hand appeared from the mist and grab his arm. He looked up to see a hooded figure, clutching at him, and a pair of violet eyes under the hood.

"Hang on!" The hooded figure said, the high light voice telling him that it belonged to a woman, "I'm going to get you out of here!"

"My… my arm…" The elf said in a rough deep voice, turning his head so that the figure could see his bleeding shoulder. The figure nodded, "I know. I saw what happened. Just hang on! Don't let go!"

The elf nodded weakly, his vision darkening at the loss of blood, and the figure shouted at someone, and soon another hand gripped at him. The two hooded figures pulled at him, clutching him through his clothing, but when they brought him over the edge, he blacked out, no longer conscious enough to thank his saviors properly even as they applied salves on him.


	3. Chapter 2

The first thing that he thought was there must be something wrong with his eyes.

He blinked as he opened his eyes, seeing only white light, and a blob of black that seemed to block his vision. He blinked again and again, trying to focus, and soon his vision grew clearer, and the black blob in his vision seemed to smile, white teeth gleaming in the light.

"Oh Thank the Maker! You're awake!" The black blob said, and when he blinked the final time, his eyes refocused, and he saw that the black 'blob' was a woman's heart-shaped head, framed by thick, black, curly hair. Her violet eyes wrinkled as she grinned wider, and she raised a hand to draw the hair away from her face, tucking it behind a slightly pointed ear, as her full red lips smiled at him.

"We thought you wouldn't last the night." The woman said, and the white-haired elf shifted, pushing himself up from the bed, but he grunted when he exerted pressure on his shoulder. "Be careful. Your wound still hadn't healed yet."

The white haired elf blinked as he looked down at himself, seeing that he was just wearing his trousers and shirt, and he took a moment to look around. It seemed that the rainy sky he saw yesterday finally cleared, and that from the light outside the tent, it was already mid-day. The inside of the tent was simply furnished with a table with a small basin beside his cot, and a three-legged stool where the woman was sitting. The woman was smiling at him, waiting patiently, her hands folded on her lap, her white, leather cloak still on her, but her hood was lowered down.

"What… who are you?" The white-haired elf said, and the woman smiled wider.

"My name is Undine." The woman said before shrugging, "But everyone else here calls me Unie. As for what I am… well, I'm a Fog Warrior. You're in our camp here in the forests of Seheron." She tilted her head inquiringly, "And you are?"

"F… Fenris." The white haired elf said, and Unie nodded, "You were a slave, weren't you? I could tell. You don't have to worry. We dealt with the mercenaries. You'll be safe here, I promise."

Fenris rubbed his wrist, "We… we're still in Seheron?"

Unie was about to answer, but Fenris' stomach growled out loudly, making her giggle. "Maybe we should talk _after_ you have eaten. It's probably been a while since you've had a decent meal." She moved away from the chair and bent down, bringing up a tray laden with a plate of warm, oven-fresh bread, a tall glass of milk and a big bowl of grayish soup. "Our cook is Fereldan, so I apologize in advance at the color. But it's lamb and pea soup, and it doesn't taste half as bad as it looks."

At the smell of the food, Fenris' stomach growled louder, and as Unie lowered the tray on his lap, he didn't even bother with the spoon and fork, instead grabbing the bowl itself and sipping it. It was warm, but not enough to scald the tongue, and it felt good as it flowed down his throat and warmed his cold belly. He took a couple more gulps of the soup, before grabbing a small loaf of bread and devouring it ravenously. Unie remained quiet, smiling at him as she watched him eat.

The woman let him eat to his content, refilling his glass of milk with a jug she had brought, until finally he loud out a loud burp that told her he was full. His face blushed a bit, "I'm sorry."

Unie waved a hand as she cleared out the bowl and the plates, satisfied that he had finished it all. "Don't be. I know what it's like to be hungry." She said simply, as she lowered the tray down to the floor again and sat back down at her chair, "Well, then… now that you're full, I suspect you have questions."

Fenris paled as he looked at her, "Are you… are you taking me prisoner? Are you going to give me back to him?"

Unie's raven black eyebrow rose, "Him?"

"To Danarius. My… mas…" Fenris said, but he stopped.

"You think we'll give you back to your master?" Unie clarified, before shaking her head, her black hair flaring, "But you freed yourself, did you not? That's what you told the mercenaries."

Fenris stared down at his hands, which were now clean and devoid of the blood of the men who hunted him, "I did."

"Then you are." Unie said, smiling gently at him, "You broke your chains, and we're not here to claim you."

"Then what do you want?" Fenris asked her, "You killed Tevinter mercenaries, but from what I've heard, you've killed the Qunari as well."

"We did." Unie said as she shrugged, "We… the Fog Warriors… we're freedom fighters. We hope to rid these lands of the tyranny of the Qun and corruption of the Black Divine."

"Why?" Fenris asked.

"Because both are criminal and wrong." Unie said, her brows furrowing, "Every day, we take in slaves… people… those who have suffered under the rule of the Tevinter Magisters. We help them, give them new purpose, and a new reason to fight. The Black Divine and Tevinter keeps and maltreats slaves just because they're powerful, and the Qun kills or re-educates the Tal-Vashoth just because they turned away from their teachings. We believe that if the Maker did give us this life, then we must be free to live it by our own means."

"But wouldn't make that more chaotic?" Fenris asked her, "If the Black Divine dies, or if the Qun fails, wouldn't anarchy reign?"

"Not if the people decide who should lead." Unie said as she arranged his tray to take it away, "But… our ideals are a bit too much to discuss in one day. You should rest. Your wound would get worse if you worry too much."

Fenris opened his mouth to speak again, but soon he silenced, laying back down on the bed. Unie smiled at him as she pulled on his covers, "Rest easy, you will be safe here, Fenris."

The lull of her voice and the feeling of being full made it hard for him to keep his eyes open, and he sighed as he sank down his pillow, as Unie's smiling face and violet eyes looking kindly at him blurred, and the world around him darkened and he fell asleep, for once not worried about what the next day would bring.


	4. Chapter 3

It was a high pitched giggle that jolted him awake.

He blinked as he opened his eyes, his fingers twitching as something ran down his arm. He shifted his head to see a tiny figure, running what seemed to be a feather down his forearm and his wrist, tracing the lines on his skin.

The tiny figure, a child no less than ten, with braided brown hair and freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks with a red scarf around her neck, seemed so focused on his skin that she didn't notice that he was awake, looking in fascination at the white lines that trailed down his arm to his fingers. He watched as she trailed the feather again down the lines, giggling as his hand twitched in response.

But the girl grew brave, throwing the feather away, and using a finger to reach out. At the feel of her finger on his skin, pain shot up his arm, and he growled out loud, startling the girl making her look at his face. The child's round, grey eyes widened at the sight of him awake, and she sprinted, running out the tent through the flap before he could speak.

He groaned as he pushed himself up, clenching his fist as the pain receded, and soon he heard footsteps. He looked up in time to see Unie coming in through the flap, smiling at him as she carried a tray of what seemed to be cooked meat, milk, bread and eggs, along with a bundle.

"Good morning." She greeted him, and she neared him, laying the tray on the table beside his bed, and coming forward, "I'm sorry about Leyla. She is an inquisitive child, and she was fascinated with your tattoos."

"They're… they're not tattoos." Fenris answered her with a low voice, and she looked at him, "They're… lyrium."

Unie silenced, before slowly sitting down beside him, "They hurt… don't they?"

Fenris nodded solemnly, and he watched as Unie raised a hand. He flinched when he realized that she was going to touch him, and at the sight of his alarm, she smiled gently and lowered her arm. "It's alright, I won't touch them if it hurts you." She stood up again as she headed towards the bundle and the tray, "But, the Elder wants to meet you. You are to eat, and I'm supposed to make you look presentable for the village before I am to take you to her."

"Her?" Fenris asked her as she took the tray and laid it on his lap, and the scent of food made his stomach growl again.

"Our leader." Unie said as she sat again, and Fenris started eating, much more slowly than before, as he was savoring the flavor of his meal. "She wants to meet you. We've told her about you."

"Anwafdosheewanfwivme?" Fenris asked and Unie blinked, before laughing out loud, "Swallow before you speak, Fenris."

Fenris gulped down the bread and eggs in his mouth with a drink of milk, before he spoke again, "And what does she want with me?"

"Only to meet you." Unie said again, "She wants to meet everyone who joins us here. She will also assign a task for you, but if you do not want to do the task you're given, you're free to decide on what you want to do."

"I'm… free to decide what I want to do?" He asked her and she nodded, "That's… that would be the first time I could decide on… anything."

She smiled at him, "Learn. You will be doing it more often now. However… if I'm not supposed to touch you, perhaps you can just put your hair up? You look too much like a girl with that long hair of yours."

"I do not!" Fenris said indignantly, and Unie laughed out loud before moving over to her bundle, and taking a round looking-glass and giving it to him. At the sight of the tangled mess of hair on his head, now flowing down his shoulders and back, he seethed, as she was rather right. Unie smirked at him, and he scowled at her as he gathered his hair and tied with a thin leather coil Unie gave him.

She allowed him to eat in peace, and when he was done, she cleared off the tray from his lap and patting the stool. Gingerly, he stood up, using his hands to steady himself on the small chair. When he was settled, Unie took what seemed to be a dagger, and in one swift, but gentle tug, she cut his hair under the leather tie.

"Shame." She said as she lowered the whole bundle of hair on his lap, "If it weren't for the fact that it's covering your face too much, I wouldn't cut it. Your hair is pretty."

Fenris snorted as she started cutting, making sure to avoid the lines of lyrium on his skin. She did it quietly, concentrating on the task at hand, and Fenris felt a small ounce of comfort from not having so much of his hair on his nape. When she was done, she gave him a wet rag for him to wipe the remnants of hair, and she looked at his face. Fenris wiped his skin so that she wouldn't have to, and when he looked up, he saw Unie staring at his face. He scowled, "What?"

Unie blinked, before a smirk entered her features, "Oh, nothing. It's just… you're a rather handsome, guy, aren't you?"

At her unexpected compliment, Fenris' eyes widened, and he felt warm. "Shut up."

"And he blushes! He is human, after all!" Unie teased, making her laugh out and making Fenris flush harder, but soon she stood up and took the bundle.

"Here, this is for you." Unie told him, and Fenris realized that the bundle was actually a bunch of breeches and wool shirts, "We've gotten rid of your old clothes. You can have these."

"I… thank you." Fenris said, and slowly he stood up to dress himself, but he looked at her, his olive eyes telling her to turn away, and she laughed as she turned away so that she won't see him naked. For added measure he turned away as well, untying the ties of his breeches to change.

"If they don't fit, just use your old breeches while I get a new pair." Unie was telling him as he put on the new pants, satisfied with their fit on his legs. "They are fine." He told her, and he took the hem of his shirt and pulled upwards, removing it. But as he did, he heard an audible gasp, and he turned to see that Unie had turned around, looking at his back, seeing that the white lines of lyrium also traveled down his back, and even on his torso. Her violet eyes filled with pity, and he felt the embarrassment burn on his face.

"He… your master… he did this to you, didn't he?" Unie asked him, now fully facing him, and he swallowed, "I… I don't remember."

"You don't remember how you got them?" Unie asked him, and he nodded, and her eyes watered, "Oh, Fenris…" She said, her voice filled with remorse.

Something touched at his side, and Fenris blinked when he saw Unie touching his skin, tracing the lines on his backs. Surprisingly, her touch didn't hurt him like that child, Leyla, did, instead, it was like a warm but soothing balm on him. He sighed a bit, relaxing in her touch, and Unie noticed it. "I'm not hurting you?"

"I… no." Fenris told her, and he turned around, showing her his chest and his abdomen, the lyrium lines visible. It trailed up his chest and down his arms, even down to his lithe abdominals, and even down lower, to the band of his breeches. Fenris felt his heart race as her fingers trailed the lines on his chest, just over his heart, and up his shoulders, before Unie seemed to have gotten a hold of herself and withdrew her hand. He stifled a groan as her soothing fingers left him.

"Well, I'm sure that is quite the story to tell to the elder." Unie said, her voice an audible whisper. She seemed to have swallowed before looking up at him and smiling, "Come on, the Elder is waiting."


	5. Chapter 4

Fenris followed Unie as they left the tent, and blinked at the surroundings. Men, women and children, clothed simply in white and black, moved to and fro the relatively small camp, living in tents similar to his. They looked at him for a moment, before returning to their task, as if an elf like him was not an extraordinary sight, although some raised their eyebrows at the lines down his arms and his chin. He saw a group of children playing, and as they neared, the child with grey eyes and red scarf, Leyla, saw Unie, and she grinned brightly, opening her arms. Unie smiled back at her as she scooted up the child in her arms, and turned to him.

"Fenris, this is Leyla." Unie told her as Leyla settled on her arm and hid her face under the woman's chin, peeking at him shyly. "Leyla, dearest, this is Fenris. He will be staying with us now. And I believe you owe him an apology."

Leyla bit her lip, and Fenris saw her mouth 'sorry', although he didn't hear her voice. Unie nodded in satisfaction, "Thank you, dear. Would you like to come with us to the Elder?"

The child nodded, still peeking at him, and she turned, leading the way again, and Leyla put her arms around Unie's neck, still peering at Fenris from her shoulder. Hoping to ease the child's fear of him, he widened his eyes and crossed them, smirking at her as the child's pretty face widened into an amused grin.

Unie opened the flap to another tent, smelling heavily of burning wood, and herbs. The warmth of the inside of the tent was welcoming from the rather cold outdoors, and Fenris saw several pelts of animals line the floor like a rug.

"Elder Amira, he is here." Unie said to a darkened corner of the tent, bowing a little and lowering Leyla, who followed her suit and bowed.

Fenris strained his eyes amidst the darkness, only to see a wizened old woman, her white hair trailing down her chest, covered in a blanket. Her face was wrinkled, and her mouth was missing a few teeth, but the thing that drew his attention was the old woman's eyes, for they were pure white and was blinking blindly at the sound of Unie's voice.

"The elven slave." The old lady's rough voice said, and Fenrish shivered in fear. The woman's head tilted to his direction, "No need to shiver, boy, you have nothing to fear from me."

Fenris blinked at her, surprised that woman knew how he felt, and she chuckled. She indicated the fur-lined pillows near the hearth, and Unie sat down, with Layla scooting into her lap. Unie looked up at him and patted the place beside her, and he slowly folded his legs and sat. "How very perceptive of you… Elder."

"When life takes away one of your senses, your body compensates the loss." The Elder, Amira said, tapping her temples near her eyes. "When I lost my sight, the Maker helped me by fine tuning my other senses. I can sense your apprehension… as well as your possession of lyrium."

He blinked again, "How did you…?"

"I can sense it… or rather, I can smell it from your sweat." Amira said again, folding her hands on her lap, "It must have been a painful process. Though, I doubt that you would even remember it. Experimentations with magic often leave the victim unable to recall the process."

Fenris scowled a little, "And you know this… how?"

The old lady chuckled, "You are not the only victim of magic that has come to us. Many have come to seek shelter, though few ever dared to survive. And because, I was one, as well."

He blinked as he looked at the old woman, who chuckled at him, "Not all of us here were slaves, dear boy. Others are just escaping the cruelties of magic, though not necessarily servants." Fenris silenced as the Elder took a long pipe from her sleeve, and Unie stood up to take a stick and put it in the fire of the hearth, and Amira stuffed her pipe with some sort of leaves.

"I was a child of a noblewoman, when I was younger." Amira said as she finished stuffing her pipe, putting the end of it to her lips. Unie stood up from the hearth, a glowing stick in her hand, and she helped Amira light her pipe, the old woman taking deep drags of smoke, filling the air with the scent of herb. The younger woman returned to her seat as Amira continued her story. "Yes, I was noble born, but I wasn't born a mage. It shamed my Tevinter family, and they despised me. Only my brother, who was a mage, only loved me despite of it. He was the one who protected me from my parent's ire, who taught me to become a craftsman instead, and who taught me healing using alchemy and herbs. I loved him."

"But a raid of Tal-Vashoth descended upon us on a trip to Minrathous, and my brother was injured… his eyes slashed by a Qunari sword. And my parents, fearing the death of their only heir, turned and used blood magic, taking my sight from me and giving it to him."

"What… what happened?" Fenris couldn't help but ask.

"They died." Amira said simply, "My brother, despite of getting his eyesight back, was distraught because of my state. He used blood magic as well, an effort to restore my sight, but he was consumed by a demon of Rage, murdering my family in anger for what they had done to me. I stopped him, despite of my blindness, and killed him. I escaped into the forest, where the former leader of this group of Fog Warriors found me, and I became their healer… and soon, their Elder."

"Some Tevinter magisters' thirst for power is too strong… some of them… even using their children to attain their goals." Amira continued, pointing at Leyla, and Fenris took a look at the child. Unie coaxed the little girl to draw her scarf for a bit, and he blinked when he saw a ragged line on the girl's throat, scarred and ugly. Leyla looked down at the fire in shame as Fenris raised his eyes at Unie, who touched the girl's head in pity before hugging her. "Leyla was born to another power-hungry Tevinter family, but she did not possess magic. Her parents tried to kill her when she was born, and threw her at the side of a road. We found her, raised her… but she will never find her voice again."

They silenced for a bit, and Amira exhaled another cloud of smoke, "But you… my boy… are scarred forever. Those lines in your skin are not the only thing your master left behind. And I sense that you'll open those wounds again, and if you are not careful… it will break you, even further."

Fenris swallowed in fear, and soon Amira chuckled, "But… I could be wrong. I have been wrong before, many times even. I am not infallible, as some of my people think I am. But now we must think of where you would go…"

Amira tilted her head, as if she was listening at him and soon enough she nodded, "Your heart is strong, and your breath is even, despite of the fear and apprehension I sense in you. Are you a skilled warrior, boy?"

Fenris nodded, "I am, Elder." And Amira chuckled again, "Not skilled enough perhaps, seeing as you were injured a few days ago. But when you are healed, Unie and Adhom will train you, and make you an even more powerful warrior. But if you wish to do something else, you are free to do so. Does this satisfy you?"

"That… yes, that is fine with me, Elder." Fenris said again, and Amira nodded. "Very well. But while you are still injured, Unie will be the one to take care of you. You are free to do what you want, boy, though I try to persuade people to help in the community as much as they can."

"I am a hunter for this village." Unie told him and he turned to look at her, "I gather herbs for healing poultices, as well as hunt meat for the village. You're still injured, but perhaps you would make do as a trapper for me. Unless you'd like to do anything else?"

"I am a warrior… a bodyguard… before." Fenris told her, " I do not know much about hunting."

She smiled kindly at him, "You will learn. I will teach you, and Leyla can teach you about the herbs for our poultices, she is very good with that." And she reached down and ruffled the child's hair, causing Leyla to smile.

"Then it is settled." Amira said, exhaling another cloud of smoke, "I hope you will find happiness here with the Fog Warriors, boy." She chuckled, before turning towards Unie and relaying some sort of message in a language he didn't know, and Unie's face turned red and causing her to exclaim, " _Vishante kaffas!_ "

"What? What did she say?" Fenris asked her, causing Amira to laugh out harder and making her cough out loudly as Unie waved a hand, "It's nothing. The Elder was just being a smart ass."

Amira laughed again after thumping her chest, "A smart ass eh? Your heart hides nothing from me, girl. Just like his blood." She said pointing at Fenris, "His wound is oozing again. You should take a look at that."

At the Elder's warning, Fenris and Unie looked down at his shoulder to see a blood stain on his shirt, causing Unie to wince. "Right." She stood up from the cushion and bowed at Amira, and out of respect, Fenris did the same. "By your leave, Elder."

Amira waved a hand, telling them to leave, and Unie and Leyla led the way, opening the flap for Fenris to exit. But just as they left, Amira shouted out another string of words again, causing Unie to turned red again and shouting, " _Festis bei umo canaverum!"_

Fenris turned towards her, his eyebrow raised, and Unie waved a hand again, "It's nothing, really. The Elder was just being… a nosy grandmother, that's all." She looked down at Leyla, "Leyla dearest, run off to Nursey and get me another bottle for the poultice, will you?"

The little girl nodded, running off to the far side of the camp, and Unie and Fenris returned to his tent. "Sit." Unie ordered him, making him sit at the edge of the bed, and he removed his shirt to bear his wound again.

Unie preoccupied herself by cutting more strips of cloth for his poultice, and soon, Leyla returned with a bottle of potion, before running off again to play with the other village children. With care and gentleness, Unie removed the first blood-soaked bandage, exposing the wound, and Fenris saw that though the wound was deep, it was sewn carefully and was already healing bit by bit. He watched as Unie cleaned the wound again, before putting some salve on the dressing she had made, and plastering it on his wound.

He swallowed before speaking, "I… ah…" He started, and Unie raised her violet eyes at him, "I never had the chance to thank you… for saving my life."

She smiled at him, her touch cool against the lyrium lines on his skin, "You're welcome, Fenris."

The corner of his mouth turned up in a small, serene smile, and he watched as her eyes widened and patches of red blossomed across her cheeks. It was an adorable look on her, amusing him, and he remained silent, enjoying her soothing fingers and her girlish embarrassment.


	6. Chapter 5

Fenris's wound was slowly, but surely mending, and even though he still couldn't hold a sword, he found himself preoccupied with Leyla and Unie. In the morning, the little girl would take his hand after breakfast to head out into the forest, looking for herbs to use as medicine, and a strange white colored stone that they turned into power, and which was, as Unie said, the main component to make the heavy, thick fog they had used, where they got their name.

He had learned to look at Leyla's face when communicating with her, and understanding the girl's expressions. As the girl's throat was ruined and she had no voice, Leyla would use her hands to communicate with him, or would sometimes mouth her words. She would make a cross with her arms when he picked the wrong kind of herb, or put up a thumb when she approved of what he was doing. She would make a disgusted face when she disliked something, like when Unie placed a serving of cabbages on her plate, and she would wrinkle her nose whenever Fenris would get sweaty and start to smell.

In fact, he enjoyed Leyla's lessons on herbs more so than Unie's teachings in hunting. Patience was never one of his virtues, and trapping, as Unie said, needed a great deal of patience. Once, he had set up a trap for a rabbit, but he had checked on it too soon, causing his prey to become alert and run away, much to his annoyance and Unie's amusement. He also tried his hand at fishing, at Unie's recommendation, but when one fish he caught slapped him on the face as he hoisted the creature up, he swore to never fish again and started to hate fish with a passion, causing her to laugh out loudly.

But soon he learned to trap effectively, giving Unie a smug grin the first time he had trapped a ram, and bowing as she gave him a round of applause in congratulations on his efforts. Sometimes, Unie would climb the trees, using them as vantage points, and she would signal him to run towards a certain direction, causing their prey away from him, straight to her arrow. With his uninjured shoulder, he hefted the carcass of their hunt back to the camp, where the other women would strip the meat and make meals for the whole village.

But one night, the village was active, and that in one of the huts, a family was mourning. He, Unie and Leyla headed out of their tent to see the Fog Warriors had returned from a raid in a road near Seheron, and they lost one of the men, a father, so it would seem. Fenris' heart twisted in pain as he watched the woman hold her child as they cried. Unie touched his arm for a moment, her hand cool and soothing and she went forward along with the other village women.

He watched as the women bathed and cleaned the corpse with cloth, the men changing its clothes from the bloodstained rags it was wearing to new vestments, anointing it with fragrant oils, swathing it with cloth, and the Elder Amira sang out the Chant of Light. The men then put the corpse on a wooden stretcher, where they carried the corpse to the beach, several meters from their camp. He and Leyla both carried torches to light their way and the way for the village people, and when they reached the shore, he and Unie were tasked to look for dried driftwood to make a fire.

The men put the corpse of the deceased on a simple raft, before pouring it with some sort of liquid, and letting it drift into the sea. Elder Amira sang a few more songs of mourning, the man's family crying in earnest. And when the raft was several meters away, Unie, being one of the best marksmen in the village, lit one of her arrows with oil. She pulled on her bow and released, the arrow twanging, and Fenris watched as the arrow hits its mark, lighting up the corpse and the raft. And they watched as it burned.

Soon, the crowd dispersed, leaving just him and Unie, continuing to watch the burning raft until it was a dot in the distance. She was holding on to her bow tightly, and he heard her sniff heavily. He turned to look at her, "You knew him?"

"His name was Kahleed." Unie said quietly, "He was a hostage captured by the Qunari. They drugged him, intending to turn him into a Ben-Hassrath, even though he preferred to die since his first son was killed by the Antaam. He escaped from the Qun, and he rescued his wife and daughter from the Ben-Hassrath, too. He was just one man, but he killed five of those Qunari all by himself to rescue his family."

"And yet he died from a raid?"

"He put himself between a Tal-Vashoth and one of our teenagers." Unie continued, and he blinked, "The Tal-Vashoth threw a spear, and he caught it in his chest before it could reach Marlan."

He nodded, "I see. A noble death then." And he silenced again, before turning to look at her, "But if this… death, is all that awaits you and the Fog Warriors, why do you continue to fight?"

"Because a lot of other families have it much worse." Unie told him, "In both the Qun and Tevinter, freedom is an illusion. The Qun will dictate you to what you are supposed to do your whole life. If you do not do it, or if you deviate from what the Qun tells you to do, you die. And in Tevinter, if you are not a mage, you are nothing more than vermin… a lower class citizen, with no rights, no claims to land or possession. You will be forever considered a peon, and will be treated just as harshly as a slave… and you already know what that's like." She sniffed again, "Dictatorship or inequality… both are chains to the people who live it. No, we'd rather die fighting for the ideal of balance among the people of Tevinter. If my death would mean that more slaves would be freed, that more people would live in freedom and equality as we do, then… it was a worthy fight." She nodded towards the burning body, "We burn our dead to signify that their mortal body will no longer chain them, that their spirit is welcome to roam the seas and the air… the ultimate freedom."

"Chains…" Fenris muttered, looking at the horizon, before looking at her again, "Can you wait here? I just want to get something from the village."

Unie's brow raised, but she nodded, and Fenris headed back into the forest towards their village, carrying a torch. It took him a while to get back, as the village was quite a distance but when he did, he lowered what seemed to be a bundle, but when Unie peered at it closer, she realized it was the clothes he wore when he first came into the village.

She watched as he moved, creating another similar raft, putting his clothes inside it, and pouring the same flammable liquid she had poured on the corpse. He then set it adrift into the sea, watching it float away, before he turned to her, "I do not know if you can see it, but can you…"

Unie blinked, but soon she understood. The clothes he wore when he arrived, to him, represented the chains of slavery that once held him to his master. She smiled at him, glad to see that he was willing to let go to what held him, and she lit another of her arrows. She let it loose once again, and they watched as her arrow hit the mark again, setting his clothes on the raft aflame. They silenced once again as they watched the raft burn, before the waves finally claimed his clothes, and the corpse of Kahleed, into the ocean.

" _Astia valla fermundis._ " Unie whispered under her breath, and she smiled up at him, "Welcome to your new life, Fenris."

Fenris looked down at her and smiled, before his hand moved, holding on to hers. "Thank you."


	7. Chapter 6

"Fenris."

He looked up from where he sat, sweat causing his vision to blur, and he wiped a hand on his eyes again to make it clearer. Unie was peering down at him as he sat on a low stool, grinding the herbs needed for salves, and behind her was a very tall man, almost as tall as a Qunari. He was dark of skin, with a bald pate, his body bulging with muscle, wearing a white cloak around him. He scowled down at Fenris with dark brown eyes, and visible tattoos on his face. Fenris swallowed before standing up, and he blinked when he realized that he barely reached the man's shoulders.

"This is Adhom." Unie told him, reaching up a hand to pat the imposing man on his elbow, "He's here to teach you to fight, as Elder Amira told you."

"This is the warrior Elder was talking about?" Adhom said, sizing up with a critical eye, "He's puny."

Fenris visibly bristled, growling under his breath, causing Unie to laugh out loud, "Ten sovereigns says he can kick your ass right now."

Adhom looked down at Unie, who raised her eyebrow in a challenge, causing the man to smirk, "Deal."

Unie held out a hand, and Adhom took in his, a massive brown hand amidst a slim, white one, and Adhom withdrew his weapon, a giant broadsword on his back, and he headed towards a clearing several yards away from the camp. "Come, elf, let's see what you can do."

Fenris looked down at Unie, who was still smirking as they followed the man, and she reached behind her and took two daggers, giving them to him by the hilt. "Unie, are you quite sure…?"

"Damn right, I'm sure." Unie told him confidently, grinning at him, "I've seen you fight remember, when you were in the fight in the forest. You can do this. Just watch him, you'll understand how to defeat him soon enough."

Fenris swallowed, but he took Unie's two daggers and slowly headed for the clearing, standing in front of Adhom, with Unie standing by the side with her arms crossed. Adhom's challenge seem to have been heard by the village and Fenris saw several people… including Leyla and Elder Amira, stand around them, creating a circle.

"First blood wins?" Adhom asked Unie, who nodded and smirked, "First blood wins."

Adhom nodded, before widening his stance, "I hope you're ready, elf." And he charged.

Fenris blinked, raising a hand, his dagger meeting with the blade of the man's broadsword. He felt himself sink a bit down the ground at the man's powerful blow, but he parried the blow to the side. But as he did, Adhom moved, angling his sword sideward, and Fenris' breath got knocked out of his lungs as the flat, blunt width of the blade hit his side, the force of it making him fly off to the side, near some onlookers. Some of the men in the village cheered at Adhom for his hit, the taller man grinning at the cheers, and he pushed himself up and readied his daggers again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Elder Amira angling her head, as if she was listening to the battle.

Adhom charged again, slashing his sword downward, but Fenris sidestepped him, and he blinked. The man was powerful, true, but the blade's weight made him move much slower than he did. He threw out a leg to test the man's speed, and he felt a little pleased when his shin made contact with the man's abdomen, making him cough.

There must have been some force to his blow, as Adhom fell down to a knee, and Fenris understood. The taller man charged again, swinging his sword sideward in an effort to get him, but Fenris merely bent down and closed the distance between them, using the hilts of the daggers to hit Adhom at the stomach first, and then at his chin, knocking the man backward, causing his teeth to catch on his lip and making it bleed.

The sight of blood on Adhom's lip made him want to fight in fervor, and he felt his power flare up, the lyrium lines on his body glowing. He heard the audible gasp of the people around him, but he didn't pay them any attention, instead opting to pounce the taller man as he lay on the ground, his hand pulled back, his hands forming into claws… intending to rip the man's heart off his very chest, as he had done before.

But someone held on to his wrist, and he blinked, looking down at the taller man as his brown eyes filled with fear the sight of his glowing hand. Fenris looked up behind him to see Unie looking at him, holding on to his wrist, her violet eyes stern, telling him to stop. He swallowed before he took a deep breath, his glowing lyrium lines dimming, and he stood up beside Unie once again, before offering Adhom his hand in an offering of camaraderie.

Adhom stared at his hand, no longer glowing, but he grinned and took it. Fenris pulled the man up, and the taller man thumped him on the back, "Good fight, elf. Good fight. That's quite the trick you got there."

"I… thank you." Fenris said, shaking the man's hand, and Unie smiled at him, even though the rest of the village seemed uneasy at the sight of a glowing elf. Adhom let out a loud deep laugh as he took his broadsword again, and sheathing it on his back, wiping the blood off his lip.

"Daggers are not your style, I think." Adhom told him, "I could see it in your eyes, you're a berserker, just like me. Blood drives you to fight harder, and with my help, you'll fight even better." He said, clapping him on the back again, "Come here every evening after dinner for your training, elf."

"Yes… Adhom." He said, bowing in respect to his adversary, and Adhom gave him a good grin before walking off. He turned around to see the Elder saying something to Unie, the woman's violet eyes narrowed with worry, and she nodded as the older woman left, the rest of the crowd dispersing as well.

He approached Unie just as Leyla and the Elder left, "What did she say?"

Unie smiled up at him, the worried look on her face fading, "She says that you're impressive, and she now understands why your master had done such a thing to you. You would make an excellent Fog Warrior. If you're willing, you could fight with us."

Fenris thought for a bit, before nodding, "I will, if you would have me."

"We would like that." Unie told him, her smile getting wider, "We'll give you two weeks to train with Adhom, and when you're ready, we will go. But for now, you might want to take a bath… you smell of herbs and sweat, Fenris."

He laughed a little, before nodding heading towards the tent he occupied by himself, and Unie watched him walk away. She clutched at her chest as she watched him, looking at the lyrium lines on his arms and hands. Unie didn't lie… Elder Amira was impressed with his skill and wants him to become a Fog Warrior, but she did omit the fact that the Amira warned her about him, that even though he was with them, he was still dangerous, and that the chains of a slave can never easily be broken.


	8. Chapter 7

"You are ready."

Fenris looked up from the seashore, only to see Unie standing nearby. Her words were not a question, but rather a statement. He lowered the massive broadsword Adhom gave him, and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "You think so?"

"I've seen you working hard." Unie told him as she neared, and she raised a hand and trailed it down at the white lines on his shoulders, exposed from the sleeveless shirt he wore as he practiced. "You didn't have this sort of musculature on you when we first met."

He grinned to himself a little. Unie's warm comforting hand on his markings felt good, and her compliment even more so. He had practiced on the broadsword hard with Adhom, and indeed, he felt stronger and faster than he ever thought possible.

"You helped." He told her as she lowered her hand, "if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be alive, and I wouldn't have learned all this."

Unie smiled at him, "Indeed." She shifted as she crossed her arms, "Elder Amira believes you are ready, too. Come back to the camp when you're done. We'll be heading off tonight."

He nodded in determination, and she returned his nod with one of her own, before walking off. He watched the white cloak around her shift as she moved, her hips swaying under the belt she wore to keep everything together. He swallowed at the sight of her wide hips, and he huffed as he sheathed his broadsword and started to put on his shirt again.

* * *

Fenris blinked at the sight of the armor in front of him, painted white like the clothes of the other Fog Warriors. It would obviously fit his frame like a second skin, but the thing that drew him were the steel vambrace and gauntlets, as they were sharp and spiky, the tips of the gauntlets like claws on the fingers.

"One of our blacksmiths made it for you." Unie said beside him, and she reached up to wrap a white scarf around the neck, a needed accessory, so it seems. "They still remembered how you killed the mercenaries that came after you. They thought it would be fitting."

"I… I don't know what to say…" He muttered out as he touched the armor, only to see that some of it was made of white leather.

Unie chuckled under her breath, "You don't need to say anything. Just put it on."

He nodded, and he approached the armor reverently. It was one thing when Unie gave him clothes for his own use, but to have an armor… something that would protect him… it was something else. Unie turned her back from him so that he could put on the leather pieces of the armor, and he looked down at himself when he was done. The armor was sturdy, but open slightly at his upper arms so that he could move freely, the leather ending in spikes near his shoulders. Somebody had opted to not give him any shoes, the bottom part of the leather leggings open for the balls of his feet and ankles, and he was thankful, as he loved feeling the ground under him. The collar was enough to cover his shoulders, but was open at the neck, showing off his markings.

Unie turned around then, and she helped him put on the small, but strong looking chest plate, made of layers of silverite, and the vambraces and gauntlets. The material was strong, but light, and he clenched his fists to get a feel of the claws on his hands. It left just the palms of his hands open, which was good, so that he could feel the weight of the broad sword. She finished his ensemble by putting a thin, white belt on his waist, holding a pouch for his items, and wrapping the white scarf around his neck to hide the lower part of his face, only showing his white hair and his olive eyes.

Unie continued to adjust his armor, and when she was done, she stepped back and smiled approvingly, raising a hand. Fenris turned towards to where she was pointing, but he blinked when he saw that he was standing in front of a looking glass. He breathed as he looked at his own reflection, seeing that he didn't look like an elf, or even a slave. He looked like… like…

"A Fog Warrior." Unie finished for him, and he looked at her reflection from the looking glass, "Welcome to our fold, Fenris."


	9. Chapter 8

The foliage was tickling his nose, but Fenris didn't dare move as he crouched beside Unie, standing by on a nearby road to Seheron. As it was dark, nobody can see where they are, hidden among the darkness and under shrubs and trees, awaiting the signal.

And then he heard it. The sound of a wagon, he gripped his broadsword tightly as he watched, his olive eyes peering at the darkness.

A group of five mercenaries were riding on horses, and behind them, in another rickety wooden wagon, was a group of slaves, caged and bound in chains, crying amidst the din. He counted two men, five women and two children in it, as well as a smug looking man in wealthy vestments riding behind the cart, drinking from a flask on his hip. But he blinked when he saw a massive Qunari walking behind the group, with wide set horns, holding a massive broad axe on his shoulder.

"A Ben-Hassrath... acting as a mercenary." Unie whispered beside him, pointing at the Qunari, "We've had a run-in with him several times. He's too much, even for us. Stay away from him."

Fenris nodded, keeping his eye on the Qunari, and he saw it sniff as if it had a cold. The smallest smirk lifted from the Qunari's lip, and Fenris could have sworn he clutched his broad axe tighter.

An owl hooted in a distance, and Unie lifted her hand, holding a huge phial, and she threw it, hitting a rock nearby. Fenris saw several other flasks thrown… and then it was chaos.

Thick white smoke emerged from the broken bottles, enveloping the area in dense white mist that completely obscured their vision. The horses of the mercenaries neighed in disapproval, before their sounds died down. Fenris moved against the mist, his elven eyes sharper than the humans near him, and he plunged his broadsword at one of the men in horseback, before using the strength he gained to fling the man off the horse. He leapt towards another man near him, slashing the shield away, before he plunged his lyrium enhanced hand at the man's chest and ripping off his heart.

"My slaves?! Where are my slaves?!" He heard someone shout in the din, and he looked around looking for a voice, finally spotting the rich man amidst the mist. He raised his sword to slash at the man, but the man spotted him.

"BULL!" The noble shouted, and immediately his broad sword met with a broad axe. His olive eyes widened when he saw the massive horned Qunari near him, smirking at the challenge.

But before the Qunari could move, three arrows pierced him in quick succession, getting him in the shoulder, the side and the thigh. The Qunari… Bull… as Fenris heard, moved again, raising his broad axe in the mist. Fenris watched as Unie suddenly landed on the flat side of the Qunari's axe, ran lightly along the length of it, before launching a strong kick at the Qunari's jaw and chin, causing the towering creature to tumble back.

"GET THE WAGON!" He heard Unie shout as she leapt away from the Qunari, and Fenris moved, running towards the cart. With a slash and a crush of the driver's heart, Fenris took over the reins. From near him, he heard movement, and he blinked when he saw Unie mounting a horse.

"FOLLOW ME!" She shouted, and she smacked the reins of her horse, making it gallop, and Fenris gripped the reins of the wagon. "Hyaaa!" He shouted as he slapped the reigns as well, and the horses and the wagon galloped behind her.

"GET THEM!" The noble man shouted, and Fenris took a peek behind him. A couple of the man's mercenaries rode, following behind, but the Qunari named Bull was merely smirking as he watched them ride away, looking… proud, even… as if he agreed that taking the slaves away from the man was good. He looked forward again as he looked for Unie in the fog, but soon it cleared up.

"Look out!" One of the slaves in the wagon shouted, and Fenris looked back to see that one of the mercenaries were hanging on to the metal grates of the cage. He grit his teeth as he clutched the reigns, "Hang on to the other side!" He told the slaves, and when they clung on to the left side of the wagon, he veered off to the left, making the cart skid, and smashing the wagon against a tree and crushing the mercenary. He let go just as another man stood from his horse, getting ready to pounce and jump on to the cart.

"UNDINE!" Fenrish shouted, and Unie swiftly turned around, bow and arrow in hand, and she released her arrow, getting the man in the neck, and flinging him off. She gave Fenris a bright smile before pulling the reigns to the right, and Fenris followed her.

The rode hard for a good fifteen minutes, but soon Unie stopped, reining her horse on a clearing near a small stream. With a sigh, she got out of her horse, and Fenris stopped the wagon near her. She looked up at the slaves in the cart, who were slightly fearful, but not harmed or wounded. "Is everyone okay? Is anyone hurt?"

"Aye, we're fine." One of the two men said, with thick auburn hair and beard, and he grinned at Fenris. "The elf gave us quite a scare with that stunt a moment ago, but we're good."

"What are you going to do with us?" One of the women said, clinging on to one of the children, looking positively frightened.

Instead of answering, Unie headed towards the cage, and within a few minutes, they heard the door unlock, and Unie swung it open. "You're free to go."

"What?" The women asked, and the two children immediately jumped out of the cart, and Unie smiled at them as she helped them down. "I know for a fact that you're not from Seheron. You sound Fereldan. Were you taken?"

"We were." One of the men said, and he turned his head to show that he had pointed ears. "I lived in Denerim. We were told that there was a contagious razing our village, and that the only way we can get cured is if we entered a house and get healed by a bunch of Tevinter mages." He snorted, "Turns out we were just getting caged for transport here."

"And you?" Unie asked as she helped down the three women.

"We… were running away. These are my sisters, and my children." The women said, and she pointed at the two other women and the two children, "My husband was a cruel man, and he abused all of us. I do not have much coin. We thought the man who talked to us was kind, and he offered us sanctuary, but he was just going to sell us to slavers."

Unie nodded, "You can rest here for a while, and if you follow this stream, there is a man at the end of it who can help you. He is one of us, and he can get you back to a port near Amaranthine. You can head to Denerim from there."

"Are you the Fog Warriors?" The bearded man said, "I… I don't want to go back to Denerim, and I don't want to become a slave. Please… if you need men, maybe you can take me."

Unie and Fenris looked at each other, and Fenris shook his head. _I don't trust him,_ his eyes told her, and she quite understood. She crossed her arms and faced him, "And what can you offer the Fog Warriors?"

"I'm an alchemist. "The man said, "I can whip up potions, if you need them. Just… please. I don't want to go back."

Unie looked at Fenris, raising her eyebrow, and he let out an audible growl. She nodded at the man, "Alright. But first you must assist these people. Help them reach our friend at the end of this stream, and then maybe we can talk about you joining us."

The bearded man grinned widely, "Thank you. I will do you proud, miss. I promise."

Unie nodded, and she pointed at the ground, "I'm going to build a fire for a moment. You can rest here."

The people nodded at her, settling down at the grass, and Unie and Fenris headed off to find firewood. "We'll rest here for tonight. Adhom and the rest are patrolling the area to make sure that these people can run by tomorrow morning."

"I do not trust that man." Fenris told her bluntly as she started picking up dry wood, "You shouldn't have let him join."

"That is up to Amira to decide, not me." Unie told him, "And I quite understand your discomfort. He does not have the bearings of a slave, or a pauper even."

"Exactly! Then why are you letting him join?" Fenris told her, looking down at her sternly, "Unie, if this man harms anyone in the village…"

"Then the blame would be his, not anyone else's." Unie told him as she straightened and looked at him, "Amira will be the one to decide if he stays or not, Fenris. And we could use anyone who joins us. In case you've forgotten, we are one man missing. We need as much people who can help."

Fenris bristled, "I still don't like it."

Unie shrugged, "Well, you are welcome to keep an eye on him if you want to."

"He's dangerous, Unie."

"As are all of us." She told him, crossing her arms, "But… I find it strange that you should care, Fenris. You've only been here a few months." She smirked at him, "Are you finally learning to care about us?"

Fenris blinked and looked at her, before he bristled again, averting his eyes from her and ducking his head to hide the warmth creeping up his face, "I… I don't know what you're talking about."

Unie laughed out loud, causing Fenris to blush harder, and he felt her hand on his arm. He looked at her just in time to see her face drawing near, and he blinked when he felt her lips press against the corner of his lip. They were softer than Orlesian rose petals, and her breath smelled of mint, and he felt himself inhale at the sensation. An overwhelming urge to tilt his head more so that he could reach her lips overwhelmed him, and he stilled himself. Unie drew back just in time, and he exhaled a rather… longing breath.

"Don't worry, Fenris." Unie told him, and he realized that she was starting to blush, too. "We're starting to care for you, too."

He blinked again as she smiled brightly at him and walked away, heading into the forest to look for some tinder, and he reached up to touch the area where she kissed him. He swallowed heavily, watching her swaying hips disappear into the foliage, before he shook his head mentally as he tried to still his blood from pumping towards the area below his belt.


	10. Chapter 9

The man, who Fenris finally learned was named Astor, was a great healer, one that Amira was thankful as it meant that he can take over her duties as the village healer. The man was rather loud and boisterous, often with a drink in his hip flask, but he knew more about healing than Amira ever did, having traveled Thedas in search of knowledge. In his story, he said that he was without coin when the slavers found him, trying to employ him as a healer for the magisters of Tevinter, only to be sold as a slave rather than a servant.

Fenris hated to admit it, but the man was rather useful, creating a poultice so powerful that bruises that they acquired during raids disappeared in a matter of hours instead of days, and the village loved to hear his stories from his adventures. But still, he kept an eye on him, as something still seemed a bit off about the man.

"Fenris?"

He blinked and looked behind him to see Unie, wearing her white cloak and armor, her quiver full of arrows. Behind her, he saw Adhom carefully seething his broadsword at his back, and he immediately understood, "You're heading out for a raid?"

"Yes." Unie said simply as she adjusted her gauntlets, "It's just a small party. We've heard that an important magister was travelling and we thought we might ambush him with a few men. There might not be any slaves with him to free, but his coin would be good enough to steal for food and supplies for our camp."

"And yet you are not taking me with you?" Fenris asked her, turning so that his body faced her.

She shrugged, "It's just a few people, Fenris… no more than four. We can handle it." She said before patting his arm, "You know we're starting to care for you, but you don't have to worry about us. We've done this plenty of times to be wary."

"I don't give a fig about the others." He said vehemently, before he could even think about what he was saying, "I care about yo…"

He raised a hand on his mouth before the last word could slip out, but from the red tint spreading from Unie's cheeks, he could tell that she had guessed what he meant. He growled at his own stupidity, but Unie smiled serenely at him. "I know." She told him, and she raised herself up to kiss him on the cheek again, making him blush redder. "I care about you, too."

Fenris looked at her, flabbergasted, but she merely grinned before turning away, not giving him a chance to speak, and heading for Adhom, who was waiting for her, glaring at him. He exhaled a breath, not realizing that he had been holding it, and he continued to watch her as she and the others disappeared in the night.

"She's quite the girl, eh?"

He turned around quickly to see Astor, leading against a tree, smoking a pipe and looking at the spot where Unie disappeared, and he felt himself become defensive. He turned around to head back into his tent, but he heard Astor chuckle.

"Kinda easy to see how a girl like that could get into anyone's blood." Astor was saying behind him, and he felt his fist clench, "She's got good hips… child-bearing hips, even."

Fenris growled, and he lowered his voice, "Touch her, and you die, bastard."

Astor let out a loud laugh, before coughing, "I'd like to see you try, boy. Just because I'm a healer, doesn't mean I could kick your ass."

Fenris rounded on the man, his fist tight and glowing white with lyrium. At the sight of the glow of his lyrium lines, Astor silenced, his face registering fear and uncertainty. "And just because you're healer, doesn't mean I could go easy on you." Fenris muttered to him, raising his clawed gauntlet and glowing hand, "I will tear your heart out of your very chest if you dare disrespect her again, bastard. You have my word."

Astor remained silent, looking at his hand, and seeing that the man seemed to have taken his word, he turned, heading back into his tent. As he walked he saw Amira standing by her tent, not seeing him, but sensing the lyrium on his skin, and she had a look of disapproval. He turned away from her as he headed inside, ashamed that the elder woman had sensed his violence.

* * *

The flurry of activity was the thing that woke him, even at the dead of night. He raised his head from his cot, listening to the sounds outside. He could hear people trying to be quiet, and he could hear someone whimpering. He blinked when recognized the heavy footsteps, and he jumped up, wide awake and opened his tent flap just in time to see someone enter Amira's tent.

He smelled blood in the air, and immediately he headed towards the elder's tent and opened its flap, and he gasped. Adhom had lowered Unie on a cot, layered with furs, but there was blood coming out of her abdomen. He felt the panic rise up from his chest, and he rushed forward over her. "Unie?!" He cried out at her, but her eyes were red-rimmed and unfocused, her face pale. "Unie, can you hear me?! What happened?!"

"A Crow." Adhom told him as he stripped her off her boots and socks, before putting a blanket to cover her feet. "That blasted magister had hired an Antivan Crow. Fucking bastard had poisoned blades, and he got her in the stomach. She killed him before she collapsed, though."

Amira was tearing through her clothes to get to the wound, touching it lightly, but it seemed to have some sort of effect on Unie, making her cry out in pain as if she was being stabbed again. The Elder raised a hand, coated with Unie's blood, and she sniffed before grimacing, "Quiet Death. She won't have much time." She looked up towards the sound of Adhom's voice, "Adhom, get that new healer here right now."

Adhom nodded and headed out of the tent, and Amira turned to Fenris, "You, boy, get me some more furs outside."

Fenris nodded, heading out of the tent, and running around it until he spotted Amira's furs, newly washed and dry, and he took as many as he could carry. He grabbed a few bandages from the line as well, and he headed back to the flap just as Adhom and Astor came running, the bearded man carrying a basket full of poultices.

Fenris laid the furs beside Unie, and Astor was looking at Unie's wound, her shirt pulled up, looking at her wound with a critical eye, "Aye, it's Quiet Death, alright." He huffed as he started taking out bottles and powders from his basket, and he looked at Adhom and Fenris. "Elder, you might want to let these two gentlemen leave. It's getting stuffy in here, and I'm going to need more light and room to move."

Amira nodded and raised a hand at the general direction of the two men, "Adhom, take the elf and stay outside."

Adhom looked a little torn, but he nodded, taking Fenris' arm, "Come on, elf. We'll wait it outside."

Fenris flinched at the man touching his arm, particularly since unlike Unie, his touch made the lyrium lines on his skin hurt. He turned towards the bearded man and pointed a finger at him, "You'd better take care of Unie, bastard, or I'll…"

"Rip my heart out of my very chest, I get it." Astor finished for him, still busy with concocting an anti-venom for Unie, "You can threaten me later after this girl's up, elf, and not before. So get out."

Fenris grit his teeth and stormed out, his hands shaking, and he felt Adhom's massive presence behind him. He touched his shoulder, wary of his lyrium lines, and patted him in re-assurance. But Fenris couldn't be comforted, still clenching his fist, and it took all of his will to not barge into the tent again as Unie started to scream from pain.


	11. Chapter 10

He must have dozed off, sitting on the ground in front of the village campfire, when Adhom poked him on the shoulder, startling him awake. He blinked when he realized that the Amira's tent was quiet, and that somebody was walking out. He stood up just as Astor opened the flap and stepped out, seeing him and the taller man waiting.

"I've dressed the wounds and sewed it shut, and I've given her some anti-venom." Astor told the two men, "The poison is still in her system, but she'll need to flush whatever effects it'll have on her on her own."

"So she'll live?" Adhom asked, as Fenris' throat was still constricted from fear.

"Aye. She'll live." Astor said, pulling on his belt, "A bottle of the anti-venom twice a day for a week, lots of water to flush out the toxin, a month or two of recuperation, and she'll be back killing slavers, Vints and Tal-Vashoth." He laughed out loudly, "I may not be the best healer in Thedas, but I'm a damn good one."

Fenris sighed in relief at the news, and Adhom patted him reassuringly, making Astor grin. "Got your knickers in a twist with worry eh? She'll be fine, don't worry. But now I know something you don't though."

The two men looked up in shock at the healer as he laughed out loudly, cupping both of his hands, "She's got a great rack, you know. With tits like those, I'm surprised neither of you have never…"

A gigantic fist slammed hard at Astor's face, and a spot of blood tainted Fenris' shirt as Astor got on the ground, his nose broken and bleeding as he clutched it in his hand. Fenris looked up at Adhom to see the man's face full of anger, his massive fist balled, Astor's blood tainting his knuckles red. At the sight of the taller man's fury, Astor clambered up, taking his basket with him, and heading up to his tent, swearing under his breath.

"That… felt good." Adhom told him as he lowered his fist, looking down at his palm to see if he had cut his hand on Astor's teeth.

"I should think so." Fenris told him as he watched the man blunder away, "But it seems you deprived me of the pleasure of kicking his arse myself."

Adhom blinked as he looked down at Fenris, before chuckling and nudging him with a shoulder, "If he pulls that sort of stunt again, elf, you'll get your chance."

Fenris lips curled upward, smiling up at the taller man, and he thumped Adhom on the back, like a comrade. The flap to the tent fluttered, and he blinked when Amira's blind eyes seemed to look at them, "What was that about?"

"Astor was being a dick." Fenris said nonchalantly, making Adhom blink and laugh out loud, "Adhom handled his ass with his fist. He's mad, but I doubt he'll disrespect Unie any further."

"At least not in our presence." Adhom nodded, making Fenris grin. Elder Amira shook her head, but she was chuckling, "Serves him right, I say. I couldn't see his face, but I'm sure I could hear him slobbering over Unie when he was healing her. Thank you for that." She turned her blind eyes towards Fenris, "She is asking for you, elf, but do not tire her. She needs rest."

Fenris nodded, and Amira steeped out of the tent to give them privacy, and she took Adhom's hand as the taller man led her towards the center bonfire of the camp. He entered the flap of the tent, the lamps illuminating the usually dark room, and he saw Unie on the fur-lined cot. He silently walked near her and sat down, noting that even though she was pale, her breath was deep, her chest rising under the blanket.

"Hello, Fenris." Unie said weakly, blinking up at him, her eyes red, but there was a spark of life in them, making him smile. He bent down closer to her, using the backs of his fingers to draw away the hair on her face, "Hello, Undine."

She smiled, a little weak, "Remind me to… always take you with me… during raids… from now on."

He chuckled, "I thought you said that could handle it."

"Smart ass." She told him, and he chuckled again as he brushed his fingers against her cheek, and she sighed, "I'm so… tired."

"Then you should rest." Fenris told her, "Amira said you need it so your wounds would heal."

Unie blinked slowly, and Fenris watched as she tried to raise her arm, but in her weakened state, it flopped uselessly on her neck, her fingers outstretched to reach for his hand on her face. "Stay… with me…"

Fenris stilled, his breath caught in his lungs, and he felt something twinge on his chest. Unable to help himself, he moved, carefully lifting her head so that he cradled it in his left arm, his right arm wrapping around her chest and shoulder to avoid the wound on her stomach. "Always…" He told her, laying his lips against her temple, and making her sigh as her eyes fluttered and she fell asleep in his embrace.


	12. Chapter 11

" _Shok ebasit hissra. Meraad astaarit, meraad itwasit, aban aqun. Maraas shokra. Anaan esaam Qun…"_

Fenris blinked awake, looking from his cot on the floor, only to find Unie, sitting up on her bed , reading a small book. She was still pale, but her eyes were at least clearer, and she was still so weak that she was holding the small book with one hand. With a yawn, he stood up, heading towards her, "What time is it? Why are you still awake?"

Unie looked at his sleepy appearance before she smiled at him, "A few hours before sunrise, I think. I've been sleeping way too much lately that I don't have any idea what time it is. Did I disturb you?"

"You were speaking in Qunlat." He said as he kneeled down near her, "I thought for a moment that the Qun came for us."

She laughed a little before grimacing, clutching her stomach, before she sighed, "Sorry. I learned Qunlat from an old friend. He… died before you came here."

Fenris blinked, "You took in a Qunari?"

"A Tal-Vashoth." Unie clarified, touching the small book in her hand, "Well, he used to be a Tal-Vashoth. He would've have ended up becoming a savage if it weren't for Amira. She gave him a new purpose as a Fog Warrior, but he was killed."

"How?"

"In one of our raids. We got caught in a crossfire between Tevinter and Qunari soldiers." Unie told him as she she shifted a little, "He died… protecting us. So we honor him in our memories." She raised to book to his gaze, "He gave this to me to read, since he taught me Qunlat before. It's useful when translating orders being barked by a Sten during battle." She sighed as she looked down at the book again, "With the Qunari, if a soldier dies, he will be remembered, though only momentarily. Soon, someone else will take his place, and it would be like he never existed. It's… a little saddening. I read the Qun to honor him, and his memory."

Fenris looked at her, before sitting on the bed, turning his body towards her, "What was his name?"

"There are no such things as names in the Qun." Unie said, shrugging, "They name each person by their ranks. They used to call him Karashok. But when he left the Qun, and he lived with us, he took in a new name. He called himself 'Harellan'…"

"But that's… elven?"

She nodded, "One of our elves called him that after he told us his story. It means 'traitor to one's kin'. He thought it was appropriate. He liked it."

Fenris quieted for a moment, looking at the book in her hands, before he exhaled, "I don't know my real name. Fenris was the name given to me by my former master. He said it meant…"

"Little wolf." Unie finished for him and he looked up at her as she smiled, "I know Elven, too. I think it suits you. You shouldn't change it, I think."

"Do you mean I should always carry around the name my master gave me?" Fenris bristled, but Unie merely smiled as she shook her head, and she raised her hand, running her fingers at the hair on his temple. He sighed in her hand, her touch soothing him as she spoke.

"I mean that you should carry around the name that shows who you really are. You are a wolf… a hunter. You stood alone for so long, and yet when you found the people you trust… when you found your 'pack', you came to care for them and protected them." She smiled at him as her fingers continued caressing his hair. "Besides, you do look like a wolf… a little. A white wolf in the snow, with strikingly green eyes amidst the darkness."

"I… don't know about that." Fenris said as he flushed in embarrassment, making Unie chuckle, "What? You don't accept that you're a good looking elf?"

His face turned even redder, making Unie smile wider, and she lowered her hands on her lap as she smirked at him, "You should hear the women in the village talking about you. Gossip spreads like wildfire here. 'That's one good looking, elf, Unie', they would tell me. 'If I weren't married, I would have jumped him. My daughter likes him, I think… she should go after him. Is he single?'" She chuckled again, one eye closing in a grimace even though she was smiling, "The younger ladies in this village are going to come after you, hoping you'd fall in love with them. You should be careful, and make sure you choose wisely."

Fenris silenced, looking down at her hands, and he swallowed as he lowered his head, his white hair covering his face. "I… don't want to look at the others."

"Hmm? Why not? They're rather pretty girls, looking for love."

"I don't need to look. I found it on my own."

Unie's eyes widened, her mouth open a bit in shock at what Fenris said. He felt his face becoming warmer, but soon she heard Unie sigh, and he peeked at her under the fringes of his hair. She leaned forward a bit, touching her lips to the top of his head. He felt his breath stop as she drew near, before she leaned back with a grunt of pain. He looked back at her to see her clutching her stomach.

"Maybe we should skip this kind of talk for when I am better." Unie told him with a smile, and he sighed in relief… and longing. She waved the book in front of him with a smirk, "Do you want to learn Qunlat, Fenris? It might prove useful when we run into Qunari soldiers."

Fenris blinked at her, and he exhaled loudly before smiling. Unie smiled widely at him as she patted the bed beside her, and Fenris arranged himself so that he was sitting beside her. She leaned back, nestling her back to his chest, and he put his arm around her shoulders as a pillow. He felt his heart thudding hard at his chest, and Unie must've felt it. "Here's your first lesson." She said, pointing at a curving word in the book, "This is the word, 'kadan'."

"Kadan." Fenris followed her, looking to where she was pointing, "What does it mean?"

"It means 'where the heart lies'. Like the center of the chest." Unie supplied from him, and he saw her smirk even though was looking down at the book, "It is also a word that means 'the person one cares about'."

He smirked down at her, wrapping an arm around her, and he felt her sigh in his embrace, "That is a good word. Kadan." And he felt her breath stop as he bent over, kissing her temple, his lips feeling the warmth of her face.

Unie felt his small kiss, and she couldn't help but smile as she ran her hand at the book… at the word that meant so much to her now. She sighed in contentment as she leaned back further, molding her back to his chest, and his arm around her tightened, "Kadan."


	13. Chapter 12

"Festis bei umo canaverum, woman! What are you doing?"

Unie turned her head, looking at Fenris as he entered the tent, carrying a tray of food, only to see her sitting up on a bed, her legs dangling on its side. It's been almost three weeks since her near death experience with an Antivan Crow's dagger, but she was mending. Most of the poison's effect was gone, although she still felt a little weak at her legs, and her wound was closed. Astor made sure that the wound was mending well, and he had learned to keep his mouth shut in Fenris and Adhom's presence, ever since the taller man punched his nose.

A week since her ordeal, Amira thought it safe to carry Unie back to her tent that she shared with Leyla, and Fenris went with them, leaving his own tent to be occupied by Astor as a new infirmary for the village. The little girl kept Unie occupied by bringing her flowers and keeping her company, bringing various stones or minerals that Unie could weave or create jewelry for the other children. Fenris took her place in the raiding parties with Adhom, leaving after dinner to raid supplies or money, and setting slaves free with the Fog Warriors. He would also be present when Unie had her dressings changed, and often brought her food, making sure that the ghastly anti-venom Astor made for her was drank even with her protests.

Fenris took it upon himself to be her caretaker, wiping her with a clean rag to keep her skin clean, and keeping her fed. However, it's been three weeks since she had washed her hair, and even though Leyla often brushed it so that it was relatively clean, Unie felt her scalp getting itchy, which was why she decided to stand up.

"I need a bath." Unie told Fenris as she lowered her legs to the floor, her feet touching the ground. Fenris seethed as he lowered the tray of food on a table, and heading towards her, pushing her shoulders, "No. You will not."

Unie huffed in annoyance, "Honestly, Fenris, I'm fine enough to take a bath, you know. My head is itchy, it probably stinks, and even though I know I've wiped myself down, I think there's still left over blood in my scalp. How you can even endure sleeping beside me when I stink is beyond me."

Fenris laughed a little before bending over, kissing her forehead and smelling her hair. It wasn't that unpleasant, but her scalp did smell of sweat. "That is because you don't stink. Your hair smells fine."

Unie huffed again, "Well, thanks. That still doesn't get rid of the fact that I'm itching for a bath."

He sighed before kneeling in front of her, his olive eyes looking into her violet ones, "Stay here for a moment then. I'll go ask Elder Amira if you're allowed to take a bath."

She smiled brightly at him, pushing herself up to kiss the corner of his mouth again, making him sigh. " Thank you, Fenris."

He smiled at her and reached up to ruffle her hair, and he looked down at his palm, "Hmm… maybe you do need a bath. My hand almost got stuck on your oily hair."

He laughed as she flung a pillow towards his face, before ducking out of the tent with a smile. He headed over to the Elder's tent only to find the woman sitting in front of the fire again, smoking a pipe.

"Elder Amira." He said, and even though he knew she couldn't see him, and as respect for the older woman, he bowed. "Unie requests that she be allowed to bathe."

The older woman chuckled against her pipe, "As I thought she would. That girl takes way too much care of her hair. Can't go a day without taking a bath. The fact that she stayed sane without washing for three weeks is astounding." She laughed before coughing and turning her blind eyes towards him. "There is a river nearby, the water would be cleaner than the sea. However, I have no one to spare to bring her there. Adhom and the other men are hunting food for us, and Astor is taking care of a child with fever. You would have to take her on your own."

Fenris blinked, but he nodded. "And I shall, Elder."

Amira huffed out a little laugh, raising a brow at him and winking, before waving her hand. "Make sure she doesn't get tired."

Fenris' face turned red at the woman's expression, and he ducked before the woman could sense his embarrassment. He headed straight back to their tent to see that Unie was standing up rather shakily, her face pale, holding on to the edge of the bed. He tutted, "Stubborn woman. I told you to wait for me."

"What did the Elder say?" Unie asked as Fenris made her sit down again at the foot of the bed, and he nodded. "Amira allows it. I am to take you to the river so you can wash."

"You?" Unie blinked as she looked up at him, her face turning red, "But… where's Adhom? The others?"

"They're hunting for food right now, and the women are preparing food for the village." He said, before he smirked, "Unless you want Astor to take you?"

"No!" Unie cried out, making Fenris smile to see that even she had reservations towards the man. "You… okay. Just… can you get my pouch from the chest there? And some new clothes if you can carry it."

Fenris nodded, heading towards the chest where Unie hid her clothes, only to see a bottle and a large bar of soap. He stuffed it in a bag, along with her clothes for changing, and slung it on his shoulder. He smirked as he headed over to her, seizing her legs, making her startle. "What're you doing?"

"I'm going to carry you." He told her, and he found himself pleasantly amused at her blushing face, "The Elder advised me to not tire you out from walking."

"Honestly, Fenris, I'm fine!" Unie cried out again, as he positioned his arms around under her legs and her back, "You don't have to carry me!"

He stepped back and sighed in mock disapproval, "Undine, if you move and open that wound up, I'm not going to ask Astor to heal it again. You can just treat it yourself. And if it festers, weeping bloody pus and burns like the flames of Andraste's pyre, don't come to me. All I'm going to say is, 'Undine, didn't I tell you not to move?'"

She stuck her tongue out at him, "I've treated wounds before, you know."

"Not ones infected with Quiet Death, you haven't."

Her violet eyes blinked, and Fenris saw realization in them as she never did deal with Quiet Death before. She sighed as she finally grit her teeth, "Fine. You can carry me. Just... on your back. I'm not some stupid damsel in distress to be whisked off by a prince."

Fenris bent over, his back to her, and Unie wrapped her arms around his neck, and he reached back to grasp her thighs. He felt his face flame at the realization that her breasts and her intimate parts were pressing against his back, and he felt her body's warmth. He swallowed before straightening his legs, lifting her up. "No, you're not. I'm sorry to say that there are no princes only, only slaves."

He flinched when Unie's hand came down hard at the top of his head, as he stepped out of the tent, the villagers smiling at them and laughing at Unie's small display of violence, "Venhedis!"

"Don't you dare talk to yourself like that again, Fenris." Unie told him, strangling him a little with her arms, "You. Are. Not. A. Slave. Say it with me!"

"How do you expect me to speak when you're choking me?" Fenris told her, coughing a little bit, and she released her arms, "Say it with me! I am not a slave!"

"I am not a slave!" Fenris said as they started walking towards the forest, the village disappearing behind them.

"With feeling!" Unie told him.

"I am not a slave!" Fenris said, a little louder.

"Not enough!"

"I AM NOT A SLAVE!" Fenris shouted, his voice loud enough to echo through the forest, startling the wildlife at their approach.

"Much better." Unie said, contented with his outburst, and he laughed a little. "Do you always make the slaves you set free shout like that?"

He felt her shake her head, "No." She said, her arms slightly tightening around his neck again, not enough to choke him, but to bring her face closer to the back of his neck. "But sometimes people just need a bit of affirmation, that's all."

He chuckled again, heading into the forest, and soon they came upon a wide river, its shore riddled with stones. Unie pointed at a particular spot, and Fenris noticed the water was slightly deeper than the rest of the river, and somebody had arranged the stones so that it created a circle, enough to fit five people. "There. That is where we usually bathe."

He nodded, heading to the spot, and he lowered her so that she could stand rather shakily. He helped her out of her outer furs, until she was standing in just a shirt and her breeches. She turned towards him, "Ahh… maybe you should turn your back."

Fenris raised an eyebrow, but he didn't argue, turning his back from her and walking a bit of a distance. He heard her move, hearing the small sound of her removing her shirt and her breeches, and soon he heard her sigh in delight as he heard the sound of water. He turned his head looking at her, expecting her to be fully submerged, only to see that the water only reached up to her chest, and her hair drawn so that he saw her upper back… and he gasped.

Unie's wide eyes turned to him, and she realized that he had seen her back, and she tried to lower herself deeper into the pool. "Don't look… please…" Unie begged him in a small voice, but he couldn't stop himself, heading over to her, crouching down at her and making her shrivel in embarrassment.

Unie's back was criss-crossed with scars, large and sticking out slightly from the normal planes of her skin. He could tell they were deep, destroying the tissue underneath, and they were probably made with something jagged. It covered her upper back, but when Unie crouched lower to hide her face, Fenris realized that it reached even further down. "Undine…"He whispered in pity, reaching out to her and touching her shoulder, making her flinch a little, "What happened?"

Unie silenced, but soon enough he heard her sniff, "I'm sorry… I didn't want you to see…"

"Tell me." He urged her, and he lowered himself so that his legs dipped into the water despite of his breeches, hoping that his presence comforted her.

"It… was a long time ago." Unie said in a quiet voice, "I was a slave, like you. My mother was an elven slave to a Tevinter magister. She… she was raped by the magister's son and had me." She told him, and he felt his heart clench, "The magister… told my mother that she can raise me, so that I could be in service of the family when I grew up. And she did."

"But they… the magister and his son… they were cruel men. They would torment us, hounding our sleep, denying our meals, and they reveled in it. They… used my mother. We've tried to escape many times, but every time we did, the mercenaries would find us and bring us back to them."

"When I… when I flowered, it delighted them. 'Now we can replace you', they told my mother. They… killed her. In front of me. They slit her throat and used her blood for magic to make sure that I can never have children, no matter how much they used me. They… abused me. They get sexually aroused and delighted when I'm in pain. They would whip me…throw bottles at me… used the shards to slash at my back when they fucked me like some Rivaini whore. I was only ten years old."

Fenris' heart twisted in pain, and he picked her up, embracing her from behind, his arms around her stomach. He could feel her sobbing, her warm tears dripping down to his arms, as she continued, "They sexually abused me for ten years. Ten years! And every day, I wished I was dead. I tried to kill myself, many times, but they always brought me back. They always made sure that they would have me. But when I was strong enough… when I had a chance, I hid a knife under my skirt when they called for me. I put some poison in their wine, and when they were weak, I killed them. I stabbed them over and over and over, until their guts were on the floor. Then I ran. I headed away from the mercenaries, and soon I found Amira and the Fog Warriors."

He tightened his embrace, on arm around her middle, the other snaking up so that he can cup her face, "Undine… I'm sorry… I'm sorry you had to experience that…"

Unie sniffed hard, but she reached up and touched Fenris' hand on her cheek, "You are not a slave, Fenris. We are no longer slaves. We can live freely, love freely… no one will ever hurt us again. We will fight for our freedom. And we will fight for our future. We cannot change our past, but we can make our tomorrow better."

Unie shifted, causing Fenris to let go of her a little, and she turned to him, and he noticed that though her back was riddled with scars, the front of her body was smooth except for the wound on her stomach. He swallowed at the sight of her nakedness, and he forced his gaze up to look at her violet eyes as she cupped his face in her hands, her face getting closer to his. "If there is a future to be had…" Unie whispered as she drew near, her body molding on to his despite of his clothes, soaking them, "… I would walk into it gladly at your side."


	14. Chapter 13

Unie's words ignited a fire in him, and he surged forward, capturing her lips, and he groaned at the feel of her… the smell of her. Her mouth opened, the tip of her tongue coaxing against his lips, and he opened his mouth to taste her. She was sweet, and he smelled the scent of apples on her breath… probably from her breakfast a moment ago. He loved it, and he pulled her closer to taste more of her. She was panting, her breasts pressed against his chest, and he stopped kissing her to give her a breath.

"How long have you wanted to kiss me like that…?" Unie asked him, out of breath, but she was smiling.

"For an unbearably long time." Fenris answered truthfully, and Unie chuckled before her face became serious again as she looked into his eyes, "Then… don't stop, Fenris."

He obliged, rushing forward to kiss her again, and he felt her fingers against the hem of his shirt. He let go of her for a moment to discard his shirt, before he reached out again to mold her upper body to his. He felt her breasts press against his chest, and he felt the blood rush towards his lower extremities, the ties of his trousers becoming painful. Unie seemed to have noticed his discomfort, her fingers trailing from his shoulders, to his chest, and down to his waist, untying the cords that held his breeches up.

He lost of sense of time and space, marveling only at the feel of her, and he sucked in a breath when he felt her lower his pants and his underclothes a bit, his straining manhood freed, and her cool fingers touching him. He looked down at her as she gazed in wonder at his cock, hard and throbbing, vined with the same lyrium markings on his body. He found it hard to breathe as her hands stroked him, giving him a few firm pumps, but he stilled when he saw her lower her head.

"Unie…" He whispered, clutching at her shoulder, making her look up at him, her violet eyes glazed with lust, "If… if this makes you uncomfortable… ah… you don't have to…"

She smiled at him brightly, moving up to kiss his mouth again, "But I want to. Very much. So… please don't stop me, Fenris…"

He swallowed loudly, before letting go of her shoulder, leaning back on his hands, and he watched as Unie lowered his head towards his cock again, and as her tongue snaked out of her mouth, licking his cockhead, he groaned in pleasure, the warmth of her tongue making his hips move upwards, thrusting upwards to her mouth.

Unie's violet eyes were watching him, watching the rise and fall of his chest, enjoying the sound of his moans as she licked him, and when she opened her lips wider and took him inside her mouth, he made a guttural noise that delighted her, making her braver. She made her movements slower, but firmer, and soon Fenris' head threw back, and the noises coming from him grew louder. She was amused that despite of the elf's quiet demeanor, he was actually very vocal in pleasure, and it turned her on. But she blinked when he grabbed her hair.

"Enough." He groaned out, and she removed his member from her mouth, looking at him even though she still massaged him with her hands, "What's wrong, Fenris?"

"I…" He started, and he reached down to grab her wrist, stilling her movements, "I don't want to finish… not yet. Not without you."

Unie drew back a little, looking in shock at the elf, "You mean you want to… ohhhh!"

Fenris' hand dove under the water, cupping her mound, and Unie's head drew back in rapture as his fingers found the part of her that ached, her nails became like claws on his chest, as his fingers stroked her, igniting the heat that was already starting between her thighs. His other hand snaked behind her, pulling her closer, and he kissed her breast before enclosing one of her nipples with his mouth.

Unie's head drew back, her throat tightening as Fenris' fingers played with her clit, while his tongue flicked her nipple, and she felt herself getting wet. Gently, he slid a finger into her moist entrance, using his thumb to play with her nub, gently but firmly moving his digit in and out of her. The sounds coming out of her were indecent, but he reveled in it, and he inserted a second digit with his first, making her moan louder. Her hips started moving, grinding against his hand, he almost bit at her chest at how excited he was. But he let her ride her palm, making her moan, but she stilled before she could reach her peak, making him look up at her.

"Fenris…" Unie said as she crawled over to him, shucking his pants down his legs until he was as bare as she was, and she straddled his hips, and he felt the heat of her pussy against his cock, "I need you inside me now… please…"

He nodded, his voice gone at the pleasure of it all, and Unie licked her lips as she straddled him, his cock near her entrance. She moaned out a breath as she teased his tip against her nether lips, and he felt her wetness, before his mind grew blank when she drew him in, her tight warmth around him.

"Oh Maker…" She moaned out, biting her lip as his cock stretched her, filling her very depths, and she lowered himself further until she felt his tip into her very core. His hands went up to grasp her thighs, pushing himself inside of her, and she squealed in delight as her hips started to move.

Fenris was enraptured with her, watching her move her hips, her breasts bouncing in front of his very eyes, as she took him slow, her slick warmth enveloping him to the brink of pleasure and pain, and his fingers grew tight around her thighs. He never wanted anything more in his life than to just fuck her senseless, but he knew she needed it slow. She continued grinding against him, making circles with her hips, and making him groan endlessly.

But soon he felt her moving a bit faster, bouncing on top of him, and he started moving his hips, meeting her when she lowered herself with a lift of his hips, hitting her at the right spot that she's almost screaming. He panted, the pleasure of her around his shaft making his brain go blank as he thrust. Unie's fingers became like claws, raking over his chest and shoulders as her head threw back in bliss, her black, curly hair flaring all the way down to her waist.

Fenris grit his teeth as he groaned, his fingers tightening around her hips as he pounded into her that he was sure he made bruises, and he could feel his release, stilling himself. But soon Unie reached her brink, her back arching in his hands as she orgasmed, the muscles inside her tightening, causing him to roar out his own release, spilling his seed inside her and mixing with her essence. They both groaned out, exhausted, and Fenris pulled her to him, making her lie face down on his chest, her breast rubbing against his torso.

"I love you, Fenris…" Unie panted out, her breath uneven, and he felt the contractions of her orgasm subside. He kissed her languidly, running her hands at the scarred planes of her back, "And I love you, Undine."

Unie smiled against his chest, running her fingers through the lyrium lines, and Fenris chuckled, "We should head back soon. We need to see if we did any damage to your wound caused by our… efforts."

She laughed brightly, but soon she sighed, "No… not yet. Let's stay here a while. I don't want to leave this river right now. Probably never."

"I know… I never want to leave, too." Fenris admitted, tightening his arms around her, "But… we should. Amira might be looking for us."

"We will. Later." Unie said, her voice a whisper as she closed her eyes in contentment, "Just… let me stay here for a few minutes, Fenris."

Finally, he sighed as he nuzzled and kissed her temple, "I am yours."


	15. Chapter 14

Something red flashed before him, and instinctively, Fenris raised a hand just as an apple headed straight to his palm. He lowered the fruit only to see Unie and Adhom, looking at him with pride, and he grinned at the two of them as he neared taking a bite out of the apple she gave him, "Thank you, kadan."

"You're welcome, kadan." She said, smiling at him as she gave out more apples to the children around her, before looking up at Adhom. "See? Didn't I tell you he'd make a great Fog Warrior?"

"And he is." Adhom said, nodding approvingly before grinning at Fenris, "Hard to believe you were that scrawny git I saw before. Your skills are improving, elf."

"I had a great teacher." Fenris said as he headed straight for Unie, and she gave him a lustful smirk as he lowered his head and kissed her, "And a wonderful inspiration."

"Oh stop it, mezzere. You are making me blush!" Unie said, with a mocking Orlesian accent, causing Adhom to laugh.

"Bunch of love sick dogs, the lot of you." A deep voice sounded behind Adhom, and they turned to look behind the taller man to see Astor, carrying a basket of herbs, scowling at Fenris and Unie. "Makes me sick, you will. Snogging all around the camp…"

"Or maybe you're just jealous that you're not the one I'm snogging, Astor." Unie said to him, grinning widely as Fenris put his arms around her. She stuck her tongue out at him, "Envious?"

Astor glared at them before grunting and walking off, making Fenris grin smugly as he kissed Unie's temple. It's been two months since that day by the river, with Fenris formally announcing their relationship to Amira. The Elder was quiet for a few moments, making them nervous, but soon she smiled and nodded. They had began living together in the tent Unie stayed in, sharing a bed together, filling most of their nights with love and passion. Unie could never have children, a fact that saddened Fenris a bit, but she had opted to adopt Leyla as her own daughter, something the little girl was ecstatic for. She had began living with them as well, although when Fenris felt that he was particularly frisky, he would send the little girl to Amira's tent so he could have Unie alone.

The little girl came barreling out from the forest, giggling in delight as she clutched a feather, and she collided with his legs, making him laugh, "Hello, Leyla." Fenris said as he picked up the little girl in his arms and kissing her cheek near the red scarf she always wore. "What sort of mischief are you up to today?"

A sudden squawking made him turn, seeing five geese… waddling their way towards him and Leyla. He blinked as he looked at them, before looking at the feather she held, and he felt his breath stop, his eyes widening as he looked at Unie.

His partner laughed out loudly, putting a hand on her hip as the geese came nearer, "You might want to run, sweetheart."

The squawking grew louder as the geese opened up their wings, running towards him at full speed, and he ran, taking the little girl with him, making Unie laugh at the strange but amusing sight of a full grown elf being chased by a flock of geese. The other villagers saw the commotion, making them all laugh out loud.

"What's all this?" Amira's voice sounded amongst the laughter, and Unie turned towards the Elder as she exited her tent. "Fenris is being chased by a flock of geese, Elder." Unie supplied for the older woman, causing her to chuckle.

"Now there's a sight I wish I could see." She said, but her chuckling stopped as she turned her head towards the trees. "Unie dear, make them stop that racket. Something's approaching."

Unie looked down at the Elder, the woman's wrinkled face knotted in worry, and she headed towards the flock, shooing them away and making Fenris stop running. He sighed as the feathered assault finally stopped, and he grinned at her, but at the sight of her worried face, his smile faded, "What's wrong?"

She silenced, sensing the air, and Fenris felt it from the soles of his feet… the thundering of hooves. He lowered the little girl, "Leyla, stay with Unie."

Unie took the little girl in her arms as the thundering of hooves grew louder, and the villagers huddled together by the campfire, raising their weapons. Fenris stood in front of Unie, drawing his broadsword, protecting her, just as the shapes in the forest grew clearer in the din… and he blinked, seeing a familiar man with a large group of soldiers behind him, with grey hair and beard, and bright green eyes. Fenris' breath stopped and his hold on the greatsword grew a little slack.

"Well, well… what do we have here?" The man said, smirking at the sight of the Fog Warriors, before settling his eyes on Fenris, giving him a wide, but cold smile.

"Danarius."


	16. Chapter 15

"Fenris, what's wrong?" Unie said behind him, touching his shoulder, seeing his hand tremble.

"That's… Danarius." Fenris told her, still staring at the man on horseback. "My… master."

Unie blinked, looking up at the man, and her face hardened. She lowered Leyla, pushing her to hide on her back, pulling out her bow and arrow. "Why are you here? What do you want from us?!"

The older man, Danarius, waved a hand at her, smiling, "Now, now… there is no need for that." He told Unie, "I am just here to reclaim something that is mine. Is there anyone here that I could parley with?"

"I am the Elder of this village." Amira said, coming nearer, her blind eyes rising at Danarius, "You do not belong here, mage, and what you wish to reclaim is no longer yours to command."

"Oh, we shall see about that." Danarius said, smiling widely down at Amira.

"How did you find us?" Unie asked, her arrow still pointed at Danarius, before she heard a deep chuckle. The villagers blinked as Astor came out from behind Danarius' horse, grinning smugly.

"I sent ravens." Astor said as he raised a sword, "Found out this magister was looking for an elven slave of his when I went to town to get things I needed for potion. Offered a lot of coin for the elf, he did. So I sent for him." He turned towards Fenris with a laugh, "You'll make me rich, elf."

Unie growled under her breath, and Danarius smiled again, "There is no need for violence. I've come to reclaim, Fenris… that is all. Give him to me, and we will be on our way."

Amira snorted, "And if we don't? If he decided that he would rather be free with us?"

Danarius smile grew wider, and it caused chills to run down Unie's spine, and he raised his hand, electricity running through his skin as his magic flared, "Then I will slaughter you all… every man, woman and child in this worthless village."

Fenris stilled, looking at Danarius, before turning around to look at Unie, his eyes saddened. Her eyes widened, understanding his look, and she growled as she let lose an arrow. A deep grunt made him look back to Danarius' ranks, only to see that she had killed Astor with an arrow through the heart. Fenris turned towards Unie again as she raised her bow at Danarius again, "You will not have him!"

"Impudent whore!" Danarius' face darkened and he growled at his soldiers, "Kill them! Kill them all!"

"Fenris!" Adhom shouted, and Danarius' soldiers charged. The women ran, taking their children with them and the men raised their weapons against the soldiers, fighting them and causing a diversion so that Danarius couldn't see Fenris. Adhom seized Amira, carrying the older woman. Fenris blinked, before he picked up Leyla, sheathing his sword to pull at Unie's hand.

"No! I will not leave them!" Unie said, and Fenris growled out loudly as he seized her by the waist, carrying her like a sack on his side that she had let go of her arrow. "Fenris, let me go!"

"He's a magister, Unie!" Fenris said as he ran, "He will kill you all!"

"We don't know that!" Unie told him as they continued to run, but Fenris didn't listen to her, turning instead towards the taller man near him. "Where are we going, Adhom?!"

"Near the river! There's a cave we can hide in there!" Adhom said, but the taller man grunted as something pierced his leg, and he fell.

"Adhom!" Fenris cried, stopping and lowering Leyla and Unie, helping the taller man up while Unie helped Amira as she was dropped by the man. He looked at Adhom's leg, only to see that an arrow had pierced him in the leg. He pulled him up, making Adhom stand, just as the sound of hooves followed them again. They looked up to see Danarius, his friendly smile gone, his face now filled with rage.

"Foolish idiots." Danarius said, growling at them from his horse. Adhom and Fenris blocked him from the women, with Amira standing in front of Unie and Leyla. "Did you really think you could run from me? All of your people are dead, just because you didn't give back what is rightfully MINE!"

"Fenris freed himself from you, mage." Amira told him, her blind eyes filled with wrath, "You have no hold over him."

Danarius sneered as he looked at Fenris, " _I_ made him. _I_ turned him into that powerful warrior. And he will always be mine. And I… I will _ALWAYS_ have a hold on him."

Blood spurted, staining Amira's surprised face, and Unie screamed as Adhom's face turned into a mask of surprise. Fenris was flaring white, his lyrium enhanced fist passing through the taller man's back and into his chest, and he squeezed, crushing Adhom's heart. Adhom gurgled out blood, before he fell to his knees, and slumping to the ground dead.

Leyla started whimpering in fear as she hid behind Unie, and Fenris turned towards the women, his head bowed, his hair hiding his eyes, the lyrium lines on his body burning brightly. Amira sensed his power, the pull of the Fade in his marks, and she understood. "I see." She said quietly, her blind eyes turned towards Fenris, "I was right then. You never _were_ free from your chains, weren't you, elf? One pull from your master, and you return once again."

"Forgive me…" Fenris said in a quiet voice, his face still hidden under his hair, and with a downward strike, he stabbed the elder with a sword, and blood bubbled up from her mouth as she fell down dead, and he turned towards Unie and Leyla.

Unie raised her bow and arrow against him, but her eyes are filled with tears, running down her cheeks in torrents as Leyla began crying in earnest behind her, her face buried at Unie's back.

"Fenris… please…" She pleaded to him as he slowly neared, making her walk backwards with Leyla, "Don't do this…"

Danarius grinned at her, "Your pleas are useless. The elf is mine… and he will always follow my orders."

Unie shook her head, trying to still her sobs as she kept her bow pointed at Fenris, "No. You're not a slave anymore, Fenris. You told me that, didn't you? You said you are not a slave. You freed yourself from him. Tell me, Fenris. Tell me you're not a slave."

Fenris kept his head down, but Unie could see his mouth moving, "I'm… I'm…" He raised his eyes up to Unie, and she realized that the man was crying, torn between his love for her and his compulsion to obey his master. He was biting his lip, hoping the pain of it would stop him, but even though blood was starting to drip, he still raised his broadsword against them. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Undine."

"Fenris… please! I was a slave like you! You can stop this!" Unie pleaded to him again, her breaths now coming out in gasps as she cried, just as torn between her love for him and her need to protect Leyla. "If I escape that life, you can, too. We can escape together! Live the life of freedom you always wanted… have the family you've always wanted… with me and Leyla." She sobbed again, "Please… Fenris… I don't want to hurt you, kadan…"

Fenris growled, but the compulsion was too much, and he raised his sword against them. "Forgive me…"

Unie sniffled, keeping her bow raised, but she took a deep breath just as Fenris charged. Unie let lose the arrow, and Fenris blinked as he watched it, the tip of the arrow heading towards his head, and his sword tip became embedded towards her abdomen.

But he blinked, his eyes widening, when he realized that the arrow had veered _right,_ and that she wasn't aiming for his head at all. A gurgle made him look back to Danarius, only to see Unie's arrow embedded into his master's left chest, piercing a lung. Fenris' breath stopped when he realized that Unie wasn't aiming for him at all, rather, she intended to shoot his master. Danarius' eyes widened, his face a mask of shock, and he slowly slumped down from his horse, falling to the ground with a low thump.

"Fen…ris…"

He turned, seeing Unie's face, her violet eyes looking sadly at him, and he whimpered in sadness as he looked down at his broadsword. It had passed straight through Unie's chest, right under her heart, exiting through her back, before embedding once again into Leyla's throat, the sword end protruding from the back of the girl's neck. Leyla's grey eyes were lifeless, rolled up towards her skull, her small body limp and pale as death. With an anguished cry, he withdrew his blade, causing blood to gurgle up Unie's lip, and making Leyla's corpse fall to the ground.

He cried out in anguish as he grabbed Unie as she fell and laying her on his lap, and taking Leyla's limp form with his other arm. His throat was scratched raw, and he looked down at his hands, seeing her blood on them.

"I'm…" Unie was saying, and he looked down at her as he placed his hand on her cheek, her tears falling from her eyes to her hair as she looked up at him, "I'm… sorry… Fenris…"

"Vishante kaffas…" He cursed as he sobbed, touching her cheek, her blood on his hands tainting her skin, "Why are you apologizing for, idiot woman? You're the one who is… who I…"

Unie shook her head a little, raising her hand weakly and running her thumb through his face, making a line of blood at the bridge of his nose, "No... not that. I'm sorry… so sorry. I couldn't… break your chains…"

Fenris grit his teeth, and he sobbed as he cradled her head, kissing her forehead, her temple, and finally, her lips, tasting her blood, "Oh Maker… Undine… Undine… I am so sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry I killed you, kadan…"

Unie smiled against his lips, but her eyes were starting to glaze as she blinked blearily at him, "Some… someone will break your… chains, Fenris… I know it. Thank you… for loving me… kadan…"

Unie's last breath left her, grazing against his cheek, and her hand fell to the ground. Her violet eyes, once full of life and love when she looked at him, had turned black, and her body started to grow cold. He tightened her grip to her body, as if such an act could keep her alive, and he let out a keening cry, the sorrow in his chest making it unbearable that he couldn't breathe.

He screamed to the heavens, his raw grief echoing through the din, as the only joy he had ever found in his life died in his arms.


	17. Chapter 16

The news spread like wildfire.

Magister Danarius of Tevinter found a small encampment of Fog Warriors and was gravely wounded. He was shot by an arrow but he lived.

He _lived._

Fenris growled, watching the dark amber of wine on his glass, listening to the discussions of other men in the tavern. Danarius survived Unie's arrow, and he's still alive, recuperating in Minrathous, where his soldiers and servants sent him after tending to his wounds in Seheron, where he is now. He swallowed heavily, before taking his glass and swallowing its contents, the amber liquid warming his throat.

He took Unie and Leyla's body with him as he ran away from the camp, heading towards sea. He built a raft for them, like in the custom he had seen before. He took Unie's bow and arrows as well as her wide belt that had many pouches… the only thing he could keep that belonged to her… his small remembrance. Unie was smart enough to keep a pouch full of coin and some potions, and he kissed her corpse's forehead in thanks to her before placing her in the raft beside Leyla's body. He doused their corpses with a vial of flammable liquid Unie kept in her belt, before he pushed the raft towards the sea. He lit a small fire, and set the arrows aflame when the raft was some distance away. He missed the raft a couple of times, as he was not trained with a bow, but soon he was able to set the raft aflame. He stayed to watch the raft in the distance, the yellow and orange flames licking their bodies. Finally, when he felt that their bodies were finally free and taken by the seas, he painted his white leathers in black as a sign of mourning over his lost lover and adopted daughter, before he covered himself with a coat and headed off towards Seheron.

Thankfully, since Danarius was injured, nobody has notified the authorities about him. He decided to take a drink at a local tavern, waiting for any ships in the harbor.

"Well, we're all ready to set sail!" One of the men said in the tavern, heading out the door and waving goodbye at one of the tavern girls, who waved back in farewell. "Cap'n is waiting for us."

Fenris turned towards the man, putting a sovereign on his table for the drink, and he followed the man. "Messere!" He called out to the man, who turned to him, "Where are you headed?"

The man blinked at him, taking in his cloak and the markings on his neck under the black leathered armor, "Err… we're headed for Llomerynn, if you want to know. My cap'n heading there for more supplies."

"Are you taking in passengers?" Fenris asked, and he raised 10 sovereigns to the man's gaze, "I have coin."

The man blinked his money, before he looked at his face, his eyes narrowing, "Are you a runaway slave, elf?"

Fenris bristled, and he scowled at the man, "What I am does not matter."

"To me, it does." The man said, crossing his arms, "Are you a slave?"

Fenris grit his teeth as he answered, "I was. But no longer. I wish to leave this place behind."

The man stared at him, before his face split into a grin, "Then that is all I wanted to know." He pointed at a massive ship, with a strong thick bow and white sails, "Head on over to the Siren's Call. I'll stow you under the brig. Cap'n Isabella's got a soft heart for slaves leaving their masters. If she finds you, tell her what you told me, and everything will be fine."

"Your… your captain doesn't mind stowaways?" Fenris asked as the man took his arm, and they headed towards the ship.

The man grinned, "Depends. If it's slaves looking for freedom, she's all for it. Cap'n Isabela might be a pirate, aye, but she got a soft heart. Just keep your head down, and you'll be fine."

"Captain… Isabella?" Fenris asked, and the man laughed out loud, "Aye. Cap'n Isabela… Queen of the Eastern Seas and the Sharpest Blade in Llomerynn." He winked at him, "If you don't want your balls hanging from your neck anytime soon, I suggest you stay under and be a good boy. Isabela is a good lass, but you don't want to be crossing her, d'you understand?"

Fenris nodded, swallowing nervously, and the man patted his back before offering his hand, "The name's Casavir, elf."

"Fenris." He said simply, shaking the man's hand, and Casavir grinned again. "Nice to meet you, Fenris. Now let's get the fuck outta this port. I saw you drinking that nasty swill at the tavern, and I assure you Llomerynn's wine is a lot better than that piss."

Casavir grinned at him as he opened his hand, showing Fenris the plank that led up towards the ship's portside. He made his way up slowly, as if he was relishing every step he took to turn away from his past life. Casavir followed behind him, patting his back as he walked past him towards the ship's stern, where the helm was, barking orders at his men to ready the sails.

The sails were let down, the anchor raised, and soon Fenris felt the winds shift as the ship began moving heading to the east, the sea gulls around them following. The sea wind lapped at his cloak and hair, and he smiled, liking the sensation. He headed over the ship's bow, looking at the vast expanse of the ocean before him, and he felt a bit of pain in his heart. He was leaving behind Unie, and Leyla, and the only home he ever knew, but he knew that when Danarius recovers, he would be looking for him again, ready to kill anyone who stops him.

He scowled, his face determined. If Danarius truly wishes to find him, he was welcome to look for him. And when he does, he will make sure to crush the magister's heart.

He will be ready for him.


End file.
